The present invention relates generally to bollards, such as may be used to provide a barrier to traffic, and more particularly to a bollard which is not damaged when struck by a vehicle and which does not do damage to the vehicle when struck thereby.
Many types of roadway barriers have been proposed over the years, and many varieties presently are in use. Bollards or post can be placed between lanes of traffic for lane delineation or within parking lots to control traffic flow patterns. Bollards additionally are placed adjacent drive-through windows of restaurants or automatic bank teller machines (ATMs) to protect the building and to direct accessing vehicles to a proper position adjacent the window. For may applications, fixed bollards are not desired as causing damage to the vehicles when struck, which damage may give rise to significant liability claims to be borne by the property owner or the insurance carrier thereof. Indeed, depending on customer volume, many businesses are faced with an average of five damage claims per month. The cost of these claims to these businesses cannot be measured solely in pecuniary terms, but also includes the loss of the goodwill of the aggrieved customers, as well as the overall frustration of having to administrate the claims.
In this regard, collapsible bollards have been proposed in the art, although such bollards may be damaged when struck by a vehicle and, more typically, nevertheless do considerable damage to the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,109 shows a barrier assembly comprising a series of individual guard-roll barrier units which comprise a series of inverted frustroconical rollers which guide an errant automobile along a safe path. U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,347 shows that bollards can be illuminated. U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,499 shows that traffic lane bollards can be mounted on a spring for providing a return mechanism when struck by automobiles. U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,902 proposes a bollard which is collapsible with an ordinary fire hydrant wrench. U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,464 proposes a bollard which has a flexible column surrounded by a coil spring which has a cover thereover and is collapsible when struck by a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,187 shows a similar spring containing bollard which collapses when struck by a vehicle.
Despite the proposals for collapsible bollards, there nonetheless remains a significant need for a bollard design which is not damaged each time it is struck by a vehicle, and which concomitantly protects the vehicle against being damaged therefrom. The present invention is directed to such a bollard development.